How to Have an Adventurous Life
An adventure lifestyle is all about having a great time, enjoying life no matter what in order to the fullest and living a balanced lifestyle. But it’s not always going to be a vacation either.
The best way to start an adventure lifestyle is to think big and do small. This will give you a goal to work toward and will give you the motivation and desire to push yourself to take and make a home away from home.
So you want to be the Adventurer
You want to be on the go, seeking new and exciting experiences. You thrive on change and enjoy pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. You are confident and courageous, always up for anything.
You are always looking for new challenges to conquer. You are fearless and bold, never backing down from a good time. You are always up for anything. Your adventurous spirit is infectious, and you always manage to get others to join in on your fun. You are spontaneous and impulsive, never saying no to a good time, but are centered with a strong sense of self and an even stronger sense of adventure.
You live life to the fullest and make the most of every moment.
I get it, you want to be an adventurer.
A few years ago, I came across Matthew McConaughey’s Commencement Speech that he did at the University of Houston in 2015. In the last portion, he talked about going a 21 Day expedition. I clipped the video into sections. You can watch it here, it’s not long but it does set the tone of an adventurous lifestyle.
Getting Started living more Adventurously
Let’s start with some motivation and desire.
First, decide what kind of adventure you want to have.
- Are you looking for an active adventure that gets your heart pumping?
- Are you more interested in relaxing with friends and family or want to expand your mind or food pallet?
- Are you interested in all extreme sports or just waterfall chasing?
- Are you interested in a combination of a few or if you’re like me you want a taste of it all?
There isn’t a wrong answer. Your answer depends on what makes you happy and what you want isn’t going to be same as what others may want. You can always adjust want you want as well. It’s all up to you as long as you take the first step and onto the next. Progress is progress.
Once you’ve decided what type of adventures fits into your life, it’s time to take the big ideas start small.
Take the big ideas that you are interested in and turn them into small steps.
Here’s an example:
Let’s say that that you desire to try new foods and expand your mind.
Start by making a list of all the things you want to do in your life. Here’s a few to get you started:
- check out local museums.
- international cuisines that have a local presence.
- Take a painting class.
- Meet an old friend once per week or month.
- Learn something new. (I consider reading an adventure that you can get lost in.)
The list can go out, but you get the point. There is nothing holding you back.
Now, start planning how you can make those things happen. Remember start small or within your comfort zone and this will lead you towards your goal. If you want to travel the world, start by saving up money for a plane ticket and researching where you want to go.
You don’t have to go out and buy a houseboat or travel around the world right away, big leaps are not the point, but if you can then you can.
An adventure lifestyle is one where you’re always on the move, exploring new places and meeting new people. It’s about living a life that’s not just about work or school or family — it’s about living life on your own terms. You make sure that you are doing something exciting every single day, big or small. It may sound like a lot of hard work, but it doesn’t have to be!
If you start small, take things slow and find ways for everything you do to be fun, then it won’t feel like work at all — it’ll just be your new way of life.
The big picture is that you want a life of travel, exploration and adventure. The small details are how you get there.
Living an adventurous life is not difficult!
Getting adventure into your life is not hard. It’s something that you can do even if you have a 9-5 career or job. I wish I didn’t have to work and be completely nomadic, but I haven’t gotten there yet. The 9-5 isn’t stopping me from adventurous things. I try to do it in my everyday life and discover new things.
What works for me are having several extended weekends for road trips instead of one yearly lengthy vacations. I’d rather do it that way, so I’m not so burnt out during the rest of the year. I take time to plan a few things while leaving enough freedom to be spontaneous.
During the week, try to do something new. A few months ago, a college friend and I went for a quick and easy hike near the Chattahoochee River and had dinner afterwards to catch up. It was a surprise that the restaurant had a guy performing. A few weeks ago, I went kayaking with a group on a Wednesday evening. It was relaxing and great to socialize with experienced and newbie kayakers.
Your adventurous life is just waiting for you to activate it!
Let’s get our mindset of we can’t do something. Let’s just go ahead and unleash our fear and once we have done it, we can say that it wasn’t so bad after all. I just think that people are afraid of new possibilities, but you can’t be that way if you want to try something new. After a while, you’ll find that the only barrier is really you.
Your life of adventure is waiting for you to start it!
The Cons of Being Adventurous
This is something that people don’t talk about, but there are ways around them.
If you travel, it can be expensive considering fuel, food, and lost luggage. People can make judgements about you that may or may not be true, like think you inherited money to travel even though you worked your ass off, budgeted, and saved.
Not many talk about the close calls and crazy things that can happen. As a female, this can happen anywhere and at any time. It can be scary and laughable later down the road. I have that dark sense of humor and 100% have done that.
If you travel alone a lot, it can be very lonely at times. Yes, you meet new people, but at the end of the day, you go on your separate ways.
First and foremost, you are going to have to put yourself in some danger. This is true for any adventure. However, the dangers are much greater when you are venturing into the unknown. When you venture into the unknown, you will have to face some risks. It’s a combination of being smart, being prepared, and knowing your limits.
The Pros of Being Adventurous
Overall, you are doing things out of the ordinary and making memories that last a lifetime. You learn and discover things about yourself that you normally wouldn’t and becoming more comfortable in your own skin. Perhaps finding a sense of purpose and fulfillment from taking on challenges.
You overcome your fears and get the thrill of going outside your comfort zone. You meet a new people along the way.
This lifestyle can also be a lot of work, but if you enjoy what you are doing then the rewards will be well worth it.
Here is a list of 100+ ideas and tips for living more adventurously.
Cathy Gray
Cathy Gray is a natural adventurer in her personal and professional life. She adapts to overcome while maintaining an infectious laugh that will make you smile.
Professionally, Cathy currently works for an industrial hose and hydraulics company. While she was a green-horn in the hose business, she spearheaded the company’s eCommerce site from the ground up from a blank canvas to live and selling within 6 months. She continues to grow the company’s online and digital presence while increasing sales year over year.
Articles
My articles categorized into 3 areas: adventures, professional, and inspirations.
I also have a few guides:
Goal Setting Guide
Ultimate Guide to Choose the Right eCommerce Platform
Productivity Strategies for Busy Professionals
Professional
Professionally, I do marketing, websites, and ecommerce, with a background in operations and graphic design.
Adventure
Topics include but not limited to: hiking, caving, weekend excursions, food, places, and/or general randomness.
inspiration
General inspiration that has helped me get through the darker times in life the last few years. And it has evolved to spread it.
